Railway-tie.



W. G. COUGHUN.

RAILWAY TIE,

WILLIAM G. GOUGHLIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1191?.

Application filed June 30, 1914. Serial No. 848,225.

To (1M 'Hll-Oh't it may concern Be it known that I, lViLLrAiw Gr. Concu- LIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, Philadelphia county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to railway ties and more particularly to a device for supporting wood cross-ties on the ballast and the rails on the ties.

hfly improved device comprises an armor for the ties whereby they will be protected against excessive wear and mutilation.

A. further object is to eliminate the usual spikes or similar fastening means for the rails which ordinarily have parts embedded in the tie.

Another object of my invention is to provide a protecting and reinforcing device for a tie, in order that a smaller tie may be used.

A still further object is to preserve and retain the resiliency and elasticity of a wooden tie.

Other objects and the novel features of my invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view taken transversely of a railway track and shows a tie equipped with my improved protecting and reinforcing means;

Fig. 2 is an end view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the tie in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an end view showing a slightly modified form of device.

The device consists of a two-piece metal sheath or armor comprising channels fitted on each end of the wooden ties T. Each rail R- has a sheath disposed beneath it, the sheath extending on opposite sides of the rail for a slight distance and being made long enough to cover the area of the tie which is usually tamped.

The lower channel A has a web 10, the inner side of which is fiat with the exception that a longitudinally extending central rib 11 is usually provided. The outer side of the web or the bottom of the lower channel A is slightly concave as shown at 12 so that the lower channel will be more securely held by the ballast. The web 10 has the flanges 13 and 14 integrally connected thereto on opposite sides of the longitudinal rib 11. The flanges 13 and 14 preferably flare outwardly slightly.

The web 10 of the lower channel extends on either side of the flanges 13 and 14. providing the projections 1? and 18 which are curved as continuations of the concave curved part 12, and serve to furnish a greater base area for the protecting sheathing. By reason of the wide bearing of the web of the lower channel a much smaller tie can be used.

The web 19 of the upper plate or channel B is formed with the inside of the web flat, except for the rib 20, which corresponds to the rib 11 on the lower channel member A. The outer side of the web is formed so as to provide a slightly convex surface 21 on which the rail rests.

The web 19 has the flanges 22 and 23, which flanges converge downwardly so as to fit the outside of the flanges 13 and 14 on the lower channel. As shown in Fig. 2, the flanges 13, 14 and 22, 23, need not extend to the webs 19 and 10. However, in Fig. l I have shown a construction in which the flanges on each channel member engage the web on the opposite channel member, the flanges 22, 23, each being provided with bead 241 to engage the lateral extensions 17 and 18 on the bottom channel and the flanges 13, 1 1 having the beads 15, 16, engaging the web 19 of channel B. The channels or sheaths are secured in place on the tie by means of bolts 27 which extend transversely through the flanges of the channel members and through the tie.

To secure the rail R to the upper channel member B the clips 28 are provided which engage the upper side of the foot of the rail and are held in place by bolts 29 on either side of the rail. The bolts 29 are provided with heads 30 which lit in countersunk recesses 31. The shanks of the bolts extend upwardly through the web 19, and the nuts 32 on the outer ends thereof serve to hold the clips 28 in place and secure the rail to the top channel member B. The clips 28 may be made of unequal lengths so that they can be reversed to change the gage of the track as the rail wears.

The sheath or armor described can be made practically water tight so as to protect the tie and the life of the tie is also prolonged because it is not necessary to use spikes to hold the rails. In the form shown in Fig. i the flaring flanges serve to very effectively support the upper channel. The upper channel prevents the rail from cut ting the tie at the top and the lower channel prevents the mutilation of the tie, particularly in soft woods, from tamping, as the armor or sheath is made long enough to cover the area usually tainped.

It will be apparent that the two channel members may be used separately. The upper channel member B may be used alone as a tie plate and the lower channel member may be used alone to furnish a bearing and protection for the tie. In the latter case, the tie may be used with a tie plate of another design or without a tie plate.

The flanges 13 and Li on the lower channel member are preferably flared in order that the tie may wedge tightly into the channel, and this wedging is further accomplished by the longitudinal ribs 011 both channel members.

While I have described the construction in detail, it will be apparent that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters-Patent is 1. The combination with a wooden crosstie, of two separated and independent rail-supporting and tie-protecting devices mounted on said tie, one of said devices being located beneath each rail and each device comprising a channel member hav ing a web extending across the top of the tie with integral flanges embracing the sides of the tie, and a second channel member having a web extending across the tie beneath the same with integral flanges embracing the sides of the tie, means extending through the tie for securing said members thereto, and means carried by the top channel members for securing rails in place thereon.

2. The combination with a wooden crosstie, of two separated and independent rail supporting and tie protecting devices, each comprising a channel piece resting on the tie and adapted to carry the rail, a second channel piece beneath the tie, the upper channel piece having downwardly converging flanges and the lower channel piece having upwardly diverging flanges.

3. The combination with a wooden crosstie, of two separated rail supporting and tie protecting devices, each comprising a. channel piece resting on the tie and adapted to carry the rail, a second channel piece beneath the tie, the upper channel piece having downwardly converging flanges and the lower channel piece having upwardly diverging flanges, the flanges on the opposing channel pieces overlapping and the webs of said pieces constituting stops engaging said flanges to limit the movement of the channel pieces toward each other.

4:. The combination with a cross-tie, of a rail supporting and tie protecting device comprising a channel piece having a web beneath the tie and upwardly extending flanges embracing the tie, the web being concave on its under surface and extending laterally beyond said flanges in conformity with the curvature of said surface.

5. A tie-reinforcing and rail-supporting device comprising a. channel member the flanges of which are capable of fitting the sides of the tie beneath and a short distance on opposite sides of a rail supported thereon, the web of said channel. having a rib on its tie-engaging face, and means carried by the web lof the channel for clamping the foot of the rail in place 011 said device.

6. The combination with a wooden tie, of a tie-reinforcing and rail-supporting device secured in place on said tie underneath each rail and comprising a bottom member having upwardly diverging flanges and fitting the bottom and sides of the tie and extending on opposite sides of the rail, a top member fitting the upper side of the tie and on the outside of part of said bottom member, said top member being equipped with means for securing a rail to the upper side thereof, and means for securing said members together.

7. A railwaytie protecting device of the class described comprising a plate, and flanges extending longitudinally of the plate and diverging upwardly to form a channel narrower at the bottom than at the top, whereby a tie will be wedged more tightly as it is pressed into the channel by the load carried by the tie.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. COUGHLIN.

Witnesses EUGENE BRANDEIS, GEO. O. TUEALL.

Gomez: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

